


Behind The Trigger

by SupernaturalMystery306



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Betrayal, Character Death, Fluff and Angst, Infidelity, Inspired by Miss Missing You by Fall Out Boy, It's a sad story, Luke might just be a bit mentally unstable, M/M, MICHAEL'S BIRTHDAY GIFT AY, NO this is not a gang fic, Rivalry, Unrequited Love, ashton!ashton, bitch!Luke (IM SORRY), cowboy!Calum, damsel!Luke because duh, idk what to tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-19
Updated: 2015-11-19
Packaged: 2018-04-30 22:38:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5182247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SupernaturalMystery306/pseuds/SupernaturalMystery306
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Sometimes before it gets better, the darkness gets bigger, the person that you’d take a bullet for is <b>behind the trigger</b>.</i>
</p><div class="center">
  <p>***</p>
</div>All Michael ever wanted was the blue eyed boy. What he got was treachery of the finest kind.<p>---</p><p>AND THIS IS UNEDITED OH LORD. FOR MICHAEL'S BIRTHDAY. POSTED AT 11:59 19TH NOVEMBER 2015 BY AUSTRALIAN TIME.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Behind The Trigger

**Author's Note:**

  * For [summerfrost94](https://archiveofourown.org/users/summerfrost94/gifts).



> MICHAEL'S BIRTHDAY GODDAMN.
> 
> THIS WAS STARTED IN JUNE UGH.
> 
> THIS IS UNEDITED.

  _Sometimes before it gets better, the darkness gets bigger, the person that you’d take a bullet for is **behind the trigger**._

 

***

 

He doesn’t know how long he has watched Luke Hemmings. The boy’s father owns the town’s vegetable market and as a farmer, Michael has made quite a profit by supplying to Mr. Hemmings. However, there is no profit bigger that getting to see the blond boy every other Saturday.

There are other times too, like when Michael is working on his farm and he sees Luke walking by with his friends, always smiling at whatever joke his friends crack.

And Michael thanks the lord for that, because he sounds like an angel when he laughs.

***

Sometimes Michael goes out into the town, leaving his sanctuary, to buy the necessary implements for his work.

Today is just another day when he does so.

Looking at the various tools, he mulls over what to buy.

On one hand, he can buy a spade to replace the one that is sitting back in his shed, happily rusting. On the other hand, he can keep saving up for the drill he’s had his eyes on for the past couple of weeks.

Turning slightly, so as to not bump into the person who just decided to shove him out of the way, he tells himself not to react. Really, it wouldn’t do him any good, seeing as most of the town just sees him as the weirdo who lives with his plants. Picking a fight, even if he is right, would just harm his reputation further.

“Clifford, huh? Hey Clifford.” A loud, _obnoxious_ voice garners his attention.

Michael’s jaw clenches.

_Calum Hood._

The town’s most loved, wannabe cowboy. Also the guy who is out to bring Michael down. Really, he doesn’t get why Hood hates him so much, but if he does, Michael’s got no problems. Because he knows how to reciprocate, thank you very much. Huh, he must have been the one who pushed Michael.

Plastering a smile, he turns around, only for it to wilt when he sees Hood’s companion.

_Luke_. As in Luke Hemmings. Who seems to be content hanging off of Hood’s arm like a fucking air headed doll.

Hood smirks, and the arm he’s got around Luke’s waist tightens.

Shit. As if earlier it wasn’t bad enough. Michael wills himself to appear indifferent, although on the inside, he’s boiling. And also really sad.

“How’s business going?”

“Good, thank you.” Michael replies curtly. This small talk is another thing that really annoys him. Hood fucking knows Michael doesn’t like him. Why does he have to pretend that they’re buddies?

The bastard smirks again, before turning to Luke, “Sweetie,” Michael retches inwardly, “This is Clifford. Michael Clifford. He makes his living by farming. Went to school with me. Must say, he had quite a talent for art.”

Michael flushes, insulted, because if he remembers correctly, which he does, no he does not have a talent for art.

He recalls the day in seventh grade, when he proudly presented his project in art class, only for the teacher to snort and ask him what it was. To Michael, it was obvious. Couldn’t the teacher see the waves? However, he knew that not everyone had the same perception. Patiently, he had tried explaining, only for the teacher to stop him and ask the next person to stand up and show their art work. The person happened to be Calum Hood, who was praised for painting a garden, which to Michael, just looked like a dumb playground.

He hates being reminded of the incident.

And wow, now he’s been reminded of it, and he is upset. Even the damn spade won’t cheer him up.

He prepares to turn back around and go home, when a voice stops him.

“I know. I know you, Michael. You give your produce to my father on Saturdays, before the weekly sale.”

Michael’s head is spinning. Luke knows him?

Smiling, he thanks him, before he makes his exit.

The whole way back, he thinks it is indeed a nice day. And he should really run into Hood more.

Okay, no, not that. But he’s definitely up for running into Luke Hemmings.

***

He’s working in his back garden, trying to uproot the weeds growing there, when he hears the crunching of leaves under someone’s footsteps. Wiping away the sweat from his forehead, he squints up into the air.

_Holy shit_. Is that Luke Hemmings?!

Indeed it is.

He sits down in the spot that was just cleaned, and smiles at Michael.

“Hello, I remember running into you that day. I was walking by and saw you so I thought I’d drop by and say hi.”

Okay, so first, he smiles at Michael, and then he talks too? Has Michael gone to heaven?

Luke must have taken Michael’s silence as confusion, because he clarifies further, “At the tool market… Calum introduced us.”

For his sake, Michael tries to appear civilized, but he’s not sure if Luke can hear the disdain in his voice, “Ah, yes, Calum Hood. We met that day.”

The hostility apparently goes unnoticed, because Luke smiles even wider.

“So… you’ve been around the town, and you’ve even come to my place for my dad, but I never talked to you, y’know? I feel dumb. I mean, I didn’t even know your name.” Luke looks down, pouting a bit.

Two thoughts go through Michael’s head. One, he’d seen Michael’s face even though he never knew his name, and two, really, does he have to be that cute?

“Uh, it’s okay. I mean, I didn’t know you either...” This is, of course, a lie. Because Michael knows a lot about Luke. 

“So, um, do you need anything?” Michael asks awkwardly, as Luke stands there, equally lost.

The blond flushes, and says, “Oh no, I can leave…” but Michael’s having none of that. Luke Hemmings is here, and Michael will be damned if he lets him get away.

***

He doesn’t know when, but soon Luke begins coming over everyday, and they talk while Michael works. They talk. A lot.

***

Michael considers Ashton a friend. The man works at the art store near which Michael’s own place of employment used to be till a few years ago, when Michael used to work at the grocery store.

So maybe he talks a bit about Luke. Maybe he badmouths Calum. Maybe he lets out that he’s gay.

But Ashton’s accepting. He accepts Michael. Something others do not do. He just smiles at Michael and gives him advice.

He’s nice when Michael’s ranting about Luke talking about Calum, and he hugs Michael when he lets out that he’s insecure about himself and his social standing in Luke’s eyes.

He tells him everything, and Ashton still sticks by him.

Ashton really is an amazing friend.

***

Luke talks about how Calum treats him like shit, thinking of him as some arm candy rather than a person. He also says that Michael’s a nice guy.

“Mike?”

“Yeah?” Michael asks back, and tries not to show that he’s freaking out because this is the first time he’s been called by anything other than his name and while Mike’s kind of his name too, it’s just not the same. Michael especially doesn’t get why Luke of all people is calling him that. Weren’t they essentially strangers around two months ago? Well, he’s not complaining.

“Have you ever kissed someone while someone else you really liked was watching?”

“What?” Michael asks, willing his treacherous mind to stop thinking about Luke and kissing in one sentence. “Are you asking me if I ever tried to make someone jealous?”

When Luke nods, Michael snorts, “Well Lucas, I’ll have you know, nobody is ever interested in the stupid punk kid who wears black clothes to school everyday. Nobody’s interested in the antisocial teenager over at the grocery store. No one’s interested in the reclusive guy who lives by the mountains. So no, never kissed anyone. Not in front of anyone, not behind anyone’s back.”

Luke winces, “Well, uh, you’re not all that. I don’t think you’re antisocial. You may be an introvert, yeah, but not antisocial. And so what if you wear black? I wear black too,” he gestures to his all black outfit, “And you’re definitely not cold towards strangers, even though you think so. Remember when I first came here? You were nice to me. And offered me lemonade. You, uh, you make hella good lemonades, actually. I didn’t want to tell you that day otherwise you’d think I was weird.”

That is when Michael can’t take it any longer. He leans forward, and plants his lips on Luke’s. At first, the blond haired boy freezes, but then he kisses back, enthusiastic.

Finally parting for air, they stare at each other breathlessly.

Luke’s lips quirk up in a smile, and Michael returns the smile shyly.

Luke really does make Michael feel like a schoolgirl.

***

It’s the seventeenth of October, and Michael’s just returned from delivering the vegetables to Luke’s father.

Speaking of Luke, _oh god_ , Luke had been hellbent on driving him absolutely _crazy_. With that smile, those eyes, everything.

For the thirty minutes Michael had been at the Hemmings residence, Luke had been loitering around, apparently carelessly, but Michael knows better. Because every single time his eyes at strayed to the blond, he had been greeted with a devilish smirk, and then Luke had gone on to do something provocative. Something that to others looked _normal_ , but was actually supposed to arouse Michael. And what the heck, Michael isn’t some overly composed person who could look Andrew Hemmings in the eye when all he could think of was banging his youngest son.

So he had made a hasty exit, not even caring to sell his stuff at the best price.

And now he’s waiting for the minx to show up.

A shadow comes over the patch of soil near which he is sitting, and he looks up to find a smirking Luke Hemmings.

Michael glares.

“So you think it was funny to do that?”

“Nope,” Luke grins, “It was more than funny. In fact, it was _hilarious_. Especially when my dad asked you if you were alright while you were trying not to let any, uh, _noises_ , escape. I didn’t know straws could be that deadly.”

And, fucking  _asshole_ , he says it so nonchalantly, as if they're discussing the weather and not Michael's ill timed boner.

“Well Luke,” Michael finally drawls, “It wasn’t funny to me. Your dad could have had me thrown out. What would you do then? Also, just think, what if your brothers saw what you were doing?”

Luke quietens for a second, before he understands what Michael is getting at. “Um, none of them are here right now. So I can probably show you what exactly I was thinking when I did what I did. Also, we won’t really be disturbed, huh…”

And that is how thirty minutes later, after Luke has left, Michael finds himself collapsed on his back porch, overlooking his backyard, and stares up at the sky dreamily.

Footsteps approach him. Sometimes he really hates how he leaves his gate open for visitors when there’s barely anyone who comes to see him. Who can it be now?

The answer comes in the form of Calum Hood, who walks up to Michael.

Michael raises an eyebrow, but he isn’t really scared, truth be told.

Calum looks at him with an indiscernible look for a moment, before he bites out, “It would be nice if you could stay away from Luke.”

Oh so that’s what this is about? Michael’s definitely enjoying this.

“Why, may I ask? In fact, I was not the one who first approached him. It was he who came. Also, he’s a grown up man, I’m pretty sure you don’t rule his life.”

Calum curls his lip, sneering, before he turns back and leaves.

For the first time in his life, Michael has been able to outdo Calum Hood. The feeling is very satisfying.

He just revels in the glory, however small it is.

Michael’s happy, so he doesn’t think to question how Calum even knew, that Luke was there, in the first place.

***

It is about a month later when trouble turns into a lot of trouble. Lately, Michael has just been feeling that something is wrong.

He’s trimming some overgrown plants in his garden, and he frowns. He doesn’t know what it is, but something is really irking him. Perhaps it is because of the argument he had with Ashton in the morning.

He feels bad, but what can he do? It’s not like he can stay calm if his friend tells him that he is being cheated on.

‘Be careful, Michael. I’ve seen him with Calum a lot these days. More so these days.’ Ashton had said. And Michael had bit back with how Ashton shouldn’t be so distrustful just because his first love had betrayed him. It had evidently not been the right thing to say because Ashton had frozen up, before saying, ‘Well maybe you are too trusting, Michael. Just don’t let that be your downfall’ and turning back to his work. Michael had waited for a moment, wanting to apologize, but when Ashton didn’t glance at him again, he had left.

And now, as he waits for Luke to arrive, he can’t help but hear those words over and over again in his head. They’re haunting him. They don’t even make sense, but he keeps mulling over them.

“Michael?”

He’s shaken out of his thoughts as he hears someone call his name. He looks up, and immediately wants to look away.

Luke’s brought a visitor with him. And not just any visitor.

No.

Calum Hood is standing with his arm around Luke’s waist, just like it was, all those days ago in the market.

A few minutes pass, before Calum clears his throat, clearly motioning to Luke to say something. Luke sighs, and looks Michael in the eye.

“We need to talk.”

And Luke goes on to tell Michael that everything has been a big misunderstanding. There’s also something about his family and fucking _societal notions_. He doesn’t even know what Luke is talking about, but the blond looks so frantic that he lets him talk without interruptions.

But soon, Michael realizes something is up.

Calum is quiet, but something about his posture almost screams victory, and as Luke stops, out of breath, an unpleasant silence descends.

Luke breaks the silence again. “Um, Michael. You’re amazing. You really are.”

Michael’s brow creases. It sounds like a rejection, somehow.

“You’re really, really nice. But… I don’t like you the way you like me. I never did.”

_Have you ever kissed someone while someone else you really liked was watching?_

Suddenly, that innocent question makes a lot more sense. And so does the fact that Calum had come to him one day minutes after Luke had left.

Michael feels like he could faint. Really? This was what it was all about? Yes, it was.

And then he almost feels like crying. Crying, because how could he be so stupid. How could he ever think someone like Luke Hemmings would ever love someone like him. He wants to cry because Ashton, his only friend in the damn place, was right, and now even he won’t give Michael the time of his day, just because Michael had been too blind to see the truth. Hell, Ashton had _told_ him something was wrong, and he hadn’t even ever _talked_ to Luke And he had still known. Only Michael hadn’t.

Calum finally opens his mouth, “And that’s why I told you you should stay away, Clifford. See, I care about you after all.”

Michael stands up, finally tired of sitting on the ground while the black haired man stares at him with that godforsaken smirk on his face.

“Luke, really?” Michael asks. A part of him is shattered, but another part of him still believes that this is all a hoax. How can it be real? He _knows_ how Luke is, and the words ‘fucking bitch’ are not ones he would ever use for the blue eyed boy. “You don’t mean that.”

And as he says those four words, he believes them with everything he has. Because Luke would never say something like that to turn someone down. As a matter of fact, he wouldn’t turn someone down he was as close to as he was to Michael. If he hadn’t been that invested in their relationship, he wouldn’t have pursued it.

That’s the moment Luke crumbles. A choked sound escapes him, before he, before he turns to Calum abruptly, and proceeds to slap him.

“I _don’t_ want to do this!”

Calum doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t even seem to care that he got slapped in front of him.

Michael is again thrown in for a loop when he hears what Calum has to say.

“You may not want to, but you know that you _have_ to.”

And Luke fucking nods.

“Michael. Michael. You were probably the best friend I ever had. And I know that I won’t be able to live if I know that I broke your heart. So. I know that I have to do it. I’m sorry. You are amazing. Never forget that.”

Calum slips something into Luke’s hand practically imperceptibly, and had Michael not been looking closely he wouldn’t even have noticed. But since he has seen the object, his blood grows cold, and he seizes up as he tries to communicate with his eyes that such a thing is not necessary.

Michael’s last thought ever is a mix of _he’s no angel_ and _Ashton was right_ and _I should have known he was trouble_ before Luke pulls the trigger of the pistol he’s been handed.

***

The sky is of a dull grey color, beginning to turn darker as the evening comes closer. The birds have flown away due to the shot, thus making the silence far more ominous, and even though no one else heard the shot, Luke doesn’t want to stay here.

As Calum urges him to hurry up and get the hell out, Luke looks back at the place where he had spent the three best months of his life. Had he not been so in love with Calum, he never would have done this. And he knows it. Because Michael was amazing, and he knows it. Even thinking about the boy in past tense is hurting now, because it is Luke’s fault. He can already feel the beginnings of sorrow and guilt trying to overpower him. He doesn’t want to stay here any longer.

Another day in the future, Luke Hemmings will regret his act heavily, maybe even going as far as to confess, tell everyone the secret about how he killed the innocent, harmless man who lived alone in his house by the mountains just because he himself was a weak man who didn't know the difference between right and wrong. But today, none of that is important. Today, Luke is just going to escape from this ill-fated place, and seek out Calum Hood's comfort and presence.

***

As Ashton Irwin hurriedly runs into the garden of Michael Clifford’s house, his heart races. He knows he made a mistake, he needs to apologize. And warn him about Hood’s schemes.

He stops.

He was obviously too late.

Ashton stares at the bloodied corpse lying on the ground.

“Michael…. **I**  could have showed you loved if you had let me.”

A tear slips down and joins the mess on the ruined patch of soil.

**Author's Note:**

> Shit, this was so bad. But I wanna cry so much.
> 
> I finally have [tumblr](http://fancythingsandgossamerwings.tumblr.com) so let's talk. :P
> 
> summerfrost94 remember how I was telling you about this in June? Yeahhh, I gifted this to you :P
> 
> also, wth guys. I mean, wow, I write shitty stuff and I still get kudos, and people who write better stuff than me don't? That's not fair :( So I'm gonna rec two stories by friends who are way more talented 'kay? [When Fire Meets Gasoline](http://ao3.org/works/4463162) and [I draw too...](http://ao3.org/works/4483997)


End file.
